I had the ball joint separator tool you show. It didn't work. A hammer did.

Do it yourself, it's not that difficult. If you decide to do it, take the 10 minutes per side to remove the inner fenderwells first. Makes getting at the forward bolt a lot easier.

Also, remember that proper procedure typically calls for putting it back together with the bolts almost tight, putting the wheels on, lowering the car so there's weight on it, then tightening the bolts with it on the ground (which is another reason to remove the inner fenderwells). Then, jack it back up, pull the wheels again, and replace the inner fenderwell covers.

The hardest part for me was getting a wrench lined up with the bolt heads to perform the final tightening (after dropping the car from the jack-stands.) BigZub hit the nail on the head with his recommendation for pulling the fenderwell (and hammer for the ball-joint).

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